Is there a legal opinion regarding this situation? (Legit Question)
Is there a legal opinion regarding this situation? (Legit Question)
The story does not say if they were on his property or not. It does mention that the old man didn't like drugs on his street.
Most residents of drug infested neighborhoods want the cops out there arresting people and getting rid of the problem element. It's sad that he died.
Is there a legal opinion regarding this situation? (Legit Question)
Good question. I don't think that undercover officers are above the law. If they didn't have a warrant, would they be trespassers? If the elderly gentleman thought they were a threat, was he within his rights to use deadly force (point a gun at them) to make them leave? (Think Castle Doctrine in Fla.) If they were criminally trespassing, did they even have a right to self defense? (I thought that one generally didn't have a right to self defense if one was committing a crime and that crime lead to violence).
Finally, in the end, could these cops be looking at manslaughter charges? If they didn't have a right to self defense, that sure looks like a possibility.
I think that at the least, a humongous civil suit might be filed against the city.
Any legal eagles got any answers to these questions?
Since we do not have the details, I could only speculate that Mr. Singletary noticed the activity, and went out to run them off...
Whether the undercover officers were actually on his property and not hanging around on the sidewalk or fringe of the property we will never know...And is probably a moot point now...
My suggestion is that anyone who notices suspicious activity should actually call (obviously for what its worth) and inquire to the activity...It might actually be some police sting activity...They are not going to not be where the action is...
If you know you live in a high-traffic area where you know (and don't say you don't, my inlaws live right next door to a revolving door operation in Pasadena, Texas) there is drug activity, drop that dime anyway!!! I seriously doubt anyone will return your call quickly enough, or even let you know if that is a police operation...Would kinda blow the surprise if you ask me...
And the police are not going to know if a resident like Mr. Singletary is not a risk of divulging information to anyone who might either retaliate, or lay low till the heat is off their area to continue the illegal activity...
So there are a lot of factors playing into this deal, and the shooting is a real tragedy...I do not know how the JSO could correct their procedures to keep this from ever happening again...
And if they did, who's to say the drug dealers won't pick up on this trend, and if anyone approaches them in the future they couldn't lie to keep a citizen from spilling the beans on their crimes??? Just to make a few more bucks before the "real heat" starts coming down on them???